Slam dunk! For the first time in more than 25 years, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Athenas women’s basketball team has completed an undefeated conference regular season.
The 16-0 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) record culminated with a come-from-behind 56-45 victory over California Lutheran University on February 21. CMS, now 22-3 on the season, enters the postseason tournament arena with an incredible feather in its cap.
“We have an incredible group of young women who work extremely hard and are very deserving of this success,” says Athenas head coach Kristen Dowling. “I love coaching this team.”
No SCIAC women’s basketball team has gone undefeated in conference play since 1990, when University of La Verne went with ten consecutive wins. This is the first time a team has won out since the conference expanded its schedule to 16 games.
Mara Falahee ’16 (right), Shaina Van Stryk ’17, and Kylie Au ’18 are proud to be a part of the team’s legacy for Scripps. (Kyra Ray ’14, also a starter, played for CMS as a Scripps student as well.)
“Our game against Cal Lutheran was a true test to our team,” says Falahee, a three year starter tied for most rebounds this season. “We were determined to be the first since the SCIAC went to a 16-game season that would hold the title as having an undefeated conference season.”
CMS faces off against either Chapman University or University of Redlands on February 26. If the Athenas win, the team will play in the February 28 tournament title game for a place in NCAA Division III competition.
“My teammates are my role models, my best friends, and are some of the best people I know,” says Falahee. “Our goal this entire season has never been the games ahead but has always been to play with passion, consistency, discipline and for each other.”